Take Home Messages From The Animal Agriculture Alliance Meeting

Take Home Messages From The Animal Agriculture Alliance Meeting

[Ed. Note: This is a message from an animal abuse industry to their
constituents...people who profit from killing animals, July 2009.]

From CattleNetwork.com

Consider these facts: Ninety-five law schools now offer at least one
course in animal law. A publication exists called the Journal of Animal Law
and Ethics. The World Bank has created a publication on animal welfare.

Animal rights issues have permeated our culture, and animal agriculture
is seeing the effects. So in May, when farmers, legislative leaders,
veterinarians, issue management specialists, government officials and others
interested in the future of agriculture came together in Arlington,
Virginia, for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s Stakeholders Summit, that’s
what they talked about. This year’s theme was "Politics, Activism and
Religion: Influencing the Debate on Animal Welfare in America."

Here are some of the highlights:

There was a warning from Wes Jamison, associate professor of
communications at Palm Beach Atlantic University: animal rights activists
are using messages with religious themes and language to advance their
agenda: vegetarianism.

Part of what makes it possible for groups to use religious language is
that so many people today have a vague and undefined religiosity, a lack of
doctrinal anchor: they are attracted to the language and the ideas. Their
lack of theological understanding makes it difficult for them to refute an
argument couched in religion. “We’re in a post theological world, adrift
without a rudder,” he said. He referred to the animal rights groups as
“meaning entrepreneurs”: their audience is in search of meaning, and the
groups are trying to fill that void.

Dr. Jamison explained two major reasons driving the activists to take
this route. The first is that people motivated by religion tend to donate
money generously; the second is that people motivated by religion can
maintain the intensity of their beliefs over time. Religious converts tend
to be very motivated – and interested in creating more converts.

This approach also allows for groups to attract bipartisan support;
religious feeling crosses party lines.

So does pet ownership, and pet owners are particularly vulnerable to the
guilt on which animal activists thrive. Pet owners have to find a way to
deal with a certain cognitive dissonance in their lives: they live with some
kinds of animals as pets/companions, while they eat other kinds.

The guilt involved in treating pets one way and food animals another way
goes to one of the activists’ core messages; people donate money to
alleviate that guilt. Other religious-themed messages relate to the value of
individual worth (God knows every animal, but factory farmers commodify
animals); asceticism (animals suffer for our gluttony); and compassion, what
Jamison called “the big message to the middle.

All religions stress compassion. God is compassionate; factory farming is
not.” The theme of responsibility – that humans should do what they can to
restore the planet – appeals to what Jamison called today’s “meism”: the
growth of narcissistic self-importance.

Bruce Vincent, a third generation logger from Montana, also gave an
impassioned talk, warning that animal rights groups thrive on conflict – in
fact, they must perpetuate conflict to survive. It is a conflict industry,
he said. "Groups involved in this industry generate cash by marketing fear.”
He warned that activist groups put before the public false choices,
especially on animal welfare and the environment (the only way to have clean
water is to eliminate animal agriculture, etc.).

Because he believes “the world is run by those who show up,” Vincent
urged people in agriculture, and other resource-based industries, to become
activists themselves: to add a line item for activism to their business
plans, ensuring they set aside both time and money to do the work.

"America is ready for a new leader and a new vision, based on hope
instead of fear, science instead of emotion, education instead of litigation
and resolution instead of conflict," Vincent said. "That new leader should
be us."

Vincent is the executive director of Provider Pals (www.providerpals.com),
a cultural exchange program that links classrooms with farmers, ranchers,
miners, loggers, oil field workers, commercial fishermen and “others who
provide the basics of everyday life.”

Other messages:

Mike Adams, host of AgriTalk Radio: Media coverage of agriculture is of
prime concern and importance. Look at the irresponsible reporting of H1N1 –
even the New York Times still calls it Swine Flu. More unity in agriculture
is needed to get messages out properly.

Cindy Smith, USDA under secretary of marketing and regulation: Ethical
treatment of animals creates marketing opportunities – responding to
concerns translates into a better bottom line. Well-informed consumers are
good consumers. There’s going to be a greater consumer demand for
information on where food came from.

Jim Wiesemeyer, senior vice president Informa Economics: Agriculture has
not done any analysis on climate change – e.g., what would impacts of cap
and trade be? Agriculture needs to provide vision on the issue.

Don’t make HSUS the subject. If you talk to PETA, you’ve lost.

If you think Washington thinks for your industry, think again. Bring he
who has risk in the industry to speak for you; lawmakers will listen.

Nils Beaumond, director of international relations, Interbev: The animal
welfare movement in the European Union is extremely strong, thanks to
non-governmental organizations (NGOs). On the issue of transport, there have
been directives regarding intervals for watering, feeding, density limits,
lateral doors on trucks to access animals directly and restrictions on
environmental parameters during transport (how hot or cold it can be). A new
draft proposal reflects rising surveillance pressure, including a
requirement for live positioning.

Ed Pajor, associate professor, Purdue University: The 13 largest European
retailers plan to increase regulations on animal welfare. Meanwhile, in the
U.S., the private sector is taking the lead, with guidelines driven by
retailers/producers. The plethora of programs is now becoming a problem,
causing confusion.

Kay Johnson Smith, executive vice president of the Animal Agriculture
Alliance: Regulation will be the next step if producers don’t follow
guidelines on their own farms. Don’t tell consumers what you want them to
know – tell them about what they are concerned about. Don’t do away with the
discussion; take it over. Americans won’t put up with anything that seems
anti-animal or anti-environment.

Mitch Head, managing director, Golin Harris: There have been more state
ballot initiatives in this decade than in any other. The ballot initiative
process has populist beginnings, and the states that allow them are mostly
in the West. Their attractions: They’re cheap to get on a ballot. You get to
write the ballot language. They’re sometimes called Superman laws because
once passed by voters, they cannot be trumped by the state legislature.
Courts are reluctant to intercede. Even if they lose, they get statewide
attention.

If agriculture allows animal rights groups to start state initiative
process, they’ll end up playing defense.

The Internet may have an effect; activists have learned to use the
Internet better than industry has.

Mike Opperman, public relations director for Charleston/Orwig:

Modern
agriculture is harder for consumers to understand and relate to. The
industry tends to respond to emotional issues with science, but needs to
speak to consumers’ hearts and heads.

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